AT&T Wi-Fi available to Purdue visitors

Parents, athletic event attendees and other visitors now have free and unlimited access to AT&T’s Wi-Fi service and can connect to the Internet from their mobile devices and laptops while on Purdue’s campus.

The service is sponsored by Purdue Extended Campus, the Center for Career Opportunities and ITaP.

Currently, the University offers Internet services for students, staff and faculty as well as guest access through Purdue Air Link. PAL requires pre-authorized use of Purdue’s wireless infrastructure, but there is an increasing desire among visitors for on-demand Wi-Fi access on campus, which prompted the addition of the AT&T hotspot service.

“We wanted to enable our campus guests to stay connected to family, friends and work during their visit in a convenient and cost-effective way,” says Mike Rubesch, executive director of IT infrastructure services. “The popularity of Wi-Fi service — particularly on mobile phones — has grown tremendously. Although Purdue will still have the option to provide guest access through PAL, this new offering is part of our overall strategy to deliver fast, reliable and around-the-clock wireless access.”

AT&T Wi-Fi Services will provide support for the University with 24/7 network monitoring, along with call center support. Visitors needing technical help can call the AT&T Wi-Fi Technical Operations Center toll-free at 1-888-888-7520 for assistance.

Wi-Fi-enabled devices with Web browsing capability are required to use AT&T's service. The network’s public name will be broadcast as “attwifi,” and individuals who select the network will be prompted through a series of screens where they can agree to the acceptable use policy, set up an account and log on to receive a generated password.

Additional information and instructions for use may be found on Purdue's IT knowledge base, Gold Answers.

Purdue students, staff and faculty should continue to use PAL 2.0 and PAL 3.0 to connect their wireless-ready laptops and phones to the Internet. PAL is accessible from most areas of the campus, including academic buildings and the common areas of most residence halls.